


Bright Stars and Blazing Suns

by FeatherQuill



Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Children, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 00:06:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5686861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatherQuill/pseuds/FeatherQuill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard Armitage ,owner of a Bar has a minor problem with his temper. Lee Pace runs a daycare center where Richard has to do community service. How on  earth is that  supposed to work? Come  in and  find out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bright Stars and Blazing Suns

**Author's Note:**

> Hi :) So this came to me at midnight and refused to go away. As always kudos and comments are very welcome :) Let me know what you think   
> <3

When Lee thinks upon their meeting, their very first at that, he still has to smile but refrains from doing so because he knows that Richard would just look at him as if he had bitten into something really sour. Yes, Richard sometimes was moody but Lee never pointed that out anymore. He would just give the older man a slightly acusing look and be done with it. Richard in turn would look at the floor and do the dishes for a week. It was sort of a ritual. Chuckling Lee bent down and picked up a few stray toys the children had left lying around on the floor today like everyday. He loved working at a daycare center and whenever he saw the horrified look Richard had thrown him on their first meeting in his memories in moments when he had the time to think about such things - well he would never have guessed that they would end up where they were now. Nobody would have at that.  
**_New York , six years prior_**  
Richard wonders briefly if he will die of a stroke before the judge glaring down at him over horn rimmed glasses will pass judgement, trying to concentrate on what the utter tit is saying and focusing on the ache in his jaw. If he doesn't stop grinding his teeth he will be in dire need of a dentist, but that isn't really his main concern right now. There are far more urgent matters at hand.  
He owns a bar, nothing fancy or famous but a place that is running well enough after two years he put into it. He also knows that from the books Graham manages for him because he just doesn't have the nerve to do things like that himself. His nerves - or lack of those has landed him in this mess in the first place. Not that he admits it, because really -how stupid would that be? He gives a snort. The judge glares at him again.  
"Mr.Armitage."  
His voice rings loudly in the courtroom, echoes off the walls and yet Richard can barely help the _what?_ he wants to holler at the man in check until his lawyer kicks him under the table hard enough to bruise his shin. He hisses but the man just straightens his tie and says nothing.  
"Is it in fact true that you bodily removed the client from your etablishment and also insulted him while doing so?"  
Richard glares at the piece of shit sitting opposite himself and cannot help smirking at the nice shiner still visible. He had removed the man bodily from his bar, yes. Said man had been drunk off his ass and had managed to piss into the fridge where he kept his private stack of beer.  
"Yes , your honour."  
He grits out between clenched teeth, trying to smile. It has no effect whatsoever but Richard is beyond caring. The judge speaks far too even for his liking while completely ignoring his snide tone.  
"Is it also true that the removal happened through a window?"  
There is a thin line of red behind Richards vision, a wire that is quickly thinning out, just a moment until it snaps, oh he knows it, has known it his entire life and when the supposed victim looks at him as if he is about to burst into tears he simply can't help it anymore.  
"No that's a bloody lie. It was a closed window the idiot can't afford to pay, like his tab!"  
The room goes deadly silent and the judge blinks at him before nodding, speaking in that same even tone of voice.  
"Very well than. Given the cicumstances I think it might be best for you to serve our community for the duration of 200 hours in total and a fine that has yet to be announced covering hospital costs for the complainant. The location of where you will serve those hours will also be given to you shortly . Any more or other questions?"  
Well, it all had gone to hell very quickly.  
~*~  
Graham laughs so loudly on the other end of the line when Richard calls him a week later that he has to hold the phone at arms length to avoid severe damage to his hearing.  
"Will you stop laughing?"  
There is a brief pause before the cackling continues. That would be a definate no then. Grumbling to himself and searching for the pack of smokes he had hidden in the flowerpot on his balcony in a last attempt to finally quit smoking he gives a long suffering sigh.  
"Any advice?"  
He knows he shouldn't ask Graham of all people something like that, but there is not really anyone else around who would put up with his shit right now, nor that he can remember of there being anyone else in the last few years.  
"Yeah, mate. Bring your own lunchbox and for heavens sake don't let any of those toddlers frighten you- could ruin your reputation as a big bad wolf."  
Graham barely gets it out before he is consumed by laughter again and Richard hangs up. A daycare center. Just his luck. He would just show up there and hope they will see that the judge is a utter nutcase for sending them someone like him.  
By the time Monday rolls around he looks like hell warmed over because he has spent his last weekend of freedom crawling into a bottle and barely managed to fall out of his bed on time once his alarm clock made its presence known, slipping on the first set of clothes he could find in the close proximity of his bed. Taking one look in the mirror and lighting a cigarette he knew this would be desaster. And to top it all, he wasn't good with people. He had no problem serving them drinks or talking to them when they asked him something but children? Looking after them? No. Never in a million years.  
Naturally the place was bright and sunny, toys lying aroun and high pitched laughter everywhere. The ninth circle of hell for someone with a hangover. He felt a little like a giant while numerous children buzzed around his feet like an overly excited flock of birds when a woman approached him, two more kids in tow. She smiled brightly at him and he flicked his gaze to the colorful name tag on her blouse.  
"Hi, I am Anna. Can I help you with something? You seem a little lost here."  
He could tell from the way she spoke that she was trying very hard not to laugh at the shell shocked expression he wore before turning her attention back to the child tugging at her pants. Crouching down she smiled kindly at the boy who crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
"Yes, Theo?"  
Theo just scrunched up his nose and gave her a look Richard wasn't used to seeing from a child.  
"Miss Anna, I am the Elvenking - Roy promised! He has to be the Dwarf! He is shorter than me anyways!"  
Before Anna could say anything or Richard could stop gwaking at the tone of the boy the more silent one on her other side - he presumed Roy - had managed to pull on Theos long blonde hair, causing a high pitched wail to pierce the air. Anna sighed.  
"I have to handle this, sorry. If you have something urgent, my boss is in his office."  
She pointed at a door to her right and Richard all but fled there.  
~*~  
Whatever Richard had expected, it wasn't to see a man with glasses stuck in his hair, pouring over forms and one ear stuck to the phone.  
"Yes, yes I know that but it has to be fixed until tomorrow."  
There was a pause and Richard could see the mans jaw clench but his joyful tone never changed. Richard was amazed, almost forgetting why he was there.  
"Yes. Thank you."  
Hanging up the man raked a hand through his already messy hair sending the glasses flying until they landed on his desk.  
"Fucking stuck up.."  
He stopped, blushing bright red as he finally noticed Richard and cleared his throat.  
"Oh I am sorry, I didn't see you there."  
A pair of large hazel eyes focused on him and a smile bloomed on his face. Without pause he rounded the desk and shook Richards hand and Richard mirrored the gesture automatically.  
"You must be Richard. Judge Thompson already mailed me everything and I am so glad that you decided to come here."  
Richard felt his mouth open and close at the bright smile that was thrown his way and frowned when the man blushed anew.  
"Sorry for my rambling, I am Lee - proud owner of Middle Earthlings."  
At that Richard raised an eyebrow and tried to ignore the queasiness had felt all morning while Lee rambled on about Tolkien and his general love for books and art. Lee, however noticed.  
"Are you alright?"  
He nodded but it was a lie. He wasn't right at all. With a horrified expression he felt the aftermath of his drinking binge finally catching up with him and Lee reacted at once, handing him a paper bin before he could vomit over the pristine green carpet of his office.  
"Oh my. Wait a minute here, yes?"  
The hand on his shoulder was big and warm but he noticed that only briefly before it was gone and Lee frantically searched in the chaos of his desk for something, coming up after what seemed like an eternity with a pack of breathmints.  
"Sit down."  
His voice was gentle and soft but Richard followed it none the less because he didn't want to upset the man further. So far his plan that he surely would be send away had worked very well - even if he had planned it very different. Coming out of his thoughts he yet again was confronted with the smiling face f Lee, although there was a hint of worry in his gaze.  
"You best get home and lie down a bit. Maybe drink some tea and tomorrow we can give it a fresh start. Maybe you would like to dress in ...uh - something more , erm - something without skulls on it,though."  
What the hell was happening?  
~*~  
Over the next two weeks Richard wondered the same, over and over again while warming up slightly. Not that he would admit it or that he would ponder that it wasn't the work itself that made him come back day for day but the smile Lee would throw him every morning while cleaning up stray toys, putting books back into shelves or bringing out the trash. He wasn't good at things like that, never had been. It took him a week to admit that he was enjoying it when the children looked up at him with adoration in their eyes while he read to them, Lees large framed standing out between them but listening all the same . Even Theo and Roy, both children of actors had taken a liking to his presence, something that was more or less a blessing as Anna told him with a smile. Going back to his normal life and his bar got harder by the second but still he didn't want to think about it too much. So when Friday neared he wasn't pleased to leave , a fact that he also shoved into the back of his mind but paused on his way out when he overheard Lee talking to another man. His voice was still kind but his posture was regid.  
"Lee, we have been over this a million times. It wasn't your fault. You were a child. No matter what he says, he knows that himself. He has no right to .."  
Richard stopped and stared,transfixed at the sad look in Lees ever smiling eyes. A sniffle rose from him and for the first time Richard felt something close to anger well up in the pit of his stomach.  
"I know Luke but I will be fine, really."  
With a quivering smile and a kiss to his cheek that leaves Richard utterly jealous for no reason at all , Lee waves Luke off and wipes his eyes. Luke pushes past Richard without a second glance but from the way he holds himself the Brit can guess thatit hadn't been a pleasent conversation. Finally Lee notices him and his face goes slack, skin pale. Richard doesn't like that look on him, not one bit.  
"Richard."  
He says flatly, trying and failing to smile.  
"Theo giving you hell again? He is very sorry about dragonblood incident."  
Theo had a way with words, that much he had to admit, for the dragonblood that Theo was talking about had been nothing but a bottle of ketchup little Theo had emptied over his brand new jeans in a fit of rage after he had gotten wind of it that Roy , now his best friend _liked_ Richard. He gave a snort.  
"Oh no, Theo and me are fine."  
He assures Lee and at least Lee gives a smile, shaking his head. Silence follows and stretches until Lee clears his throat, shuffling his feet.  
"Good."  
There is a sob rising in the younger mans throat and Richard steps forward and lays a palm on his shoulder. He knows he has no right to do that strictly speaking but Lee comes closer, rests his head against a strong shoulder and sighs.  
"You know what you need?"  
Lee raises an eyebrow at that.  
"Something stronger than milk and I just know the place to get it."  
He knows it is a lame joke but when Lee laughs it means the world to him. Well, shit.  
~*~  
As far as Richard is concerned on Saturday morning, nobody is allowed to look cute after drinking their head of, but Lee pulls it off all the same.  
"Richard?"  
He asks rather meekly from his place on Richards ratty sofa, blinking blearily at the other man. Richard had never been more grateful for his flat above the Bar in his life. He still was a bit shaken after all that Lee had confided to him. About the car crash that his mother hadn't survided when he was six and how his father more than twenty years later finds that to be his fault although it is proven that it hadbeen indeed the fault of a drunk driver and how Luke was his dearest friend but nothing more and that he was so damn lonely sometimes despite loving his work. Naturally the amount of drinks he had comsumed had loosened his tongue with time.  
By the end of the night when Lee had breathed into his ear that he would be gladly the Julietto his Romeo the older man had called it a night, barely avoiding choking on his Whiskey. Bright light flooded his bedroom and Lee hid his face in the pillows, groaning while Richard chuckled around his cigarette.  
"You are cruel."  
Lee moaned and Richard grinned like a shark.  
"And here I thought that I was your Romeo."  
Lee groaned again, blushing furiously all to the tips of his ears.  
"I didn't...we..didn't?Oh god."  
Richard gave a snort, stretching out the kinks in his back resulting from sleeping in his armchiar after hauling Lee up the stairs from Bar to flat.  
"No.Doesn't mean I don't want to though."  
Lees eyes are all but black before the spell between them is broken by him turning green and making a mad dash to the bathroom. Richard has to smile all the same.  
~*~  
He isn't crying . No - he has never cried and he will not start when on the last day of his sentence Theo hands him a box with _jewels from my kingdom_ that are just glass pepples in an old lunchbox to ensure a safe journey to whereever he may go and he isn't crying when Roy in turn hands him a plastic key that will grant him entry to a secret mountain if he ever needs hiding. He ruffles both boys hairs and smiles when Theo straigthens his locks at once while Roy just grins. Anna gives him a hug but Lee -well he hasn't seen all day because he is holed up in his office, finally having wrangled a better price out of the man running the company fixing all things around the daycare. It is strange but he has to go in there none the less and he does so without knocking, spotting Lee by the window, gazing out at the playground. For once the desk is neat, a file with his name printed on it resting atop the neatly polished surface. Something sits wrong with that but Richard cannot put finger on it until Lee turns around, hands him the file and smiles at him like a very sad puppy.  
"You will be greatly missed."  
Lee says and his lips tremble in a way that makes it very clear that the looks they have shared aren't enough -not nearly. So he pulls Lee over by the collar of his shirt and drags him into a bone melting kiss that lasts more than either of them cares about. When Richard finally comes to Lee smiles at him brighter than the sun.  
"Or maybe you come around and look for that mountain. And other things."  
Richard nods,smiling through wet eyes.  
_**New York City -Present day**_  
Lee all but yelps when a pair of arms wraps around his waist followed by a pair of lips on his neck.  
"Didn't we talk about the no touchy feeling stuff at work?"  
He says halfheartily and Richard laughs in his ear, making him giggle.  
"I love you, too ."  
At that Lee softens and wraps his arms around the other man, gazing fondly at their matching wedding bands. They have been married for the better part of two years and it had been a wonderful time although Richards friends had just gaped and Lees father had been not very supportive at first. Now all that seems very far away.  
"Why doesn't that apply to my place of work?"  
Richard asks while Lee looks at him with a bright blush.  
"Because my customers are mostly still wearing diapers?"  
He asks followed by a grimace and bouts of laughter. Judge Thompson maybe was the most confused person in the whole affair for he never quite figured outwhy on earth Richard had sent him a gift basket.

END


End file.
